


Monster Under the Bed

by colfhummel



Category: Glee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-13
Updated: 2013-10-13
Packaged: 2017-12-29 08:11:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1003037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colfhummel/pseuds/colfhummel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is a monster under Kurt’s bed every single night. And Burt wakes up and makes it disappear every single night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Monster Under the Bed

“Daddy?”

Burt lets out a soft groan, rolling over to his side to face his little son who's standing at the side of his bed.

“What is it buddy?” Burt asks, his voice raspy from sleep.

“There's a monster under my bed,” Kurt states, clutching the small stuffed cat closer to his chest.

Burt lets out another soft groan at that. “Okay, okay, honey, Daddy's gonna get up and look for the monster.”

“Thank you, Daddy,” Kurt squeaks in response, his tiny arms reaching out, silently begging Burt to pick him up.

And Burt does, of course.

They walk back into Kurt's dimly-lit room, the small Little Mermaid night light the only source of brightness, and make their way to Kurt's bed that is crowded with all kinds of different plush toys.

Kurt instantly snuggles closer to Burt's chest, burying his face against the soft flannel of Burt's pajamas. “Daddy, it's down there,” the little boy whimpers.

“Shh, I've got this, kiddo,” Burt replies, rubbing small circles over his child's trembling back. “Now let's take a look at this monster, alright?”

“No, Daddy, I'm scared.”

But Burt still bends down on one knee, holding his small son steady with one arm and using the other to lift the covers of Kurt's bed to look beneath it.

“Come on, Kurt. Look at that,” Burt urges him once the view is clear.

Kurt just shakes his head, clinging even more to his father, “It's gonna eat us,” comes the muffled reply.

“Well, I think that your monster has already been eaten by someone else, so nothing is gonna harm us, just look,” Burt tells him, gently shaking his son in his arms to get him to look up.

Finally, Kurt's face pulls away from his father's chest, slowly turning his head and letting his blue eyes dart across the space beneath his bed.

“Simba!” Kurt's high-pitched voice calls out at seeing the big stuffed lion lying under his bed.

“See? I told you, buddy. Nothing down there, and with that whole animal army on your bed, no monster will ever be able to harm you, okay?” Burt says as he places Kurt back on the bed, lifting his small legs up, not without tickling the tiny bare feet of course – the sound of Kurt's giggle filling his chest with warmth – and tucking him in, safe and warm. Before leaving, Burt reaches under the bed, grabbing the stuffed lion and places it next to Kurt's pillow, running his fingers through the soft hazel locks of his child's hair. “No more monsters tonight, alright kiddo?”

“Yes Daddy. I love you,” Kurt whispers, before his small face scrunches up in a yawn.

“Love you too, honey.”

  
  


When Burt returns to his bed a few moments later, Elizabeth is awake.

“Another monster?” she asks, her voice heavy with sleep.

“Yeah,” Burt groans as he slides back under the covers. “It's just...no matter how often I've told him that monster don't exist or how many ridiculous things I tell him – like, hey honey that monster isn't there anymore because it had to catch his bus to Monsterville, or look Kurt, the monster has vanished into thin hair because it's so afraid of coming home late to his own parents and getting grounded or tonight I told him one of his plush toys got hungry and ate the monster – it's just...it kind of feels like no matter what, Kurt will always see a monster down there and wake me up in the middle of the night.”

Burt lets out a long sigh.

“Honey, I don't think Kurt really believes he's seeing a monster down there,” Elizabeth says in a calm voice.

“What? Of course he does, why would he wake me up every night otherwise?”

“Burt, ...you're working a lot lately, Kurt misses you.”

“What does that have to do with...”

Elizabeth turns over then, facing him and reaching out to brush her fingers over her husband's arm.

“I think Kurt just wants to spend some time with his Daddy, no matter what, no matter why or no matter when. I think that's why he makes up these stories of seeing a monster, so you'll spend some time with him, holding him, talking to him, making him feel _loved_.”

Burt is speechless at that. And the warmth that had been spreading in his chest ever since he'd held his little boy close and brought him back to bed is gone. Replaced by a tightening and clenching feeling.

“I'm becoming exactly like my old man, am I? Not spending time with my own kid,” Burt whispers, the memories of his own father making his insides churn.

“No, honey,” Elizabeth says, “If you were like your father, you would dismiss and sent your little son back to bed without a nice word, every night. You are a good father,” she emphasizes the words by squeezing his arm. “You get up every night, no matter how tired you are and you make sure your little son is feeling safe and happy before you tuck him back inside, before you leave him alone. You're an incredible father, Burt. And I know things are...tough right now, but we'll get through this, maybe I can find a better job, one that's better paid.”

Burt shoots her a quick smile, even though he knows his wife can't see it in the dark room.

“I love you.”

  
  


The next day, Burt surprises Kurt after lunch.

“Look buddy, this one's for you,” he says, holding up a tiny blue coverall.

“Oh Daddy, I'm gonna look like you,” Kurt beams, jumping up from his place on the living room rug where he's been celebrating the wedding between two of his Power Rangers.

“So, what do you say, do you wanna help Daddy fix some cars?”


End file.
